Re: Spin
the introduction

: : Entrenched vendors were
quick to spin the introduction of Cisco's SN 5428 storage router, which supports
both Fibre Channel and IP, as a coup for their protocol.

: : being a foreigner,
I am a little confused about "spin the introduction".

: In this case, "introduction"
means putting a new product (the router) on the market, offering it for sale.
"Spin" has recently become a popular word for talking about something (often,
publicly interpreting an event) in a way that isn't quite lying but is distorted
so as to favor one's interests. "Putting a spin on it" means interpreting what
happened in a way that makes oneself or one's business, government, political
party, etc., look good.

In think the word 'spin' in this context comes from
ball games. Certainly in cricket and tennis it is possible to put spin on the
ball to make it do things that it might not do without the spin - a way of modifying
its behaviour and end result. Sounds familiar!?